With more than twenty-two years of experience at CP Skin Health Group (Colgate-Palmolive Skin Health Group), Echo Sandburg has held various roles in different regions of the world. As the Chief Brand Officer for CPSHG US, she builds brand experiences (professional and consumer) for EltaMD, PCA SKIN, and Filorga. She leads the individual brand teams, education, communications & media, and the in-house creative cross-brand teams. She also drives the equity-enhancing growth of the skin care business in the U.S. market.

Echo discovered her passion for marketing during her undergraduate studies, which led her to switch from psychology to business. She combines data-driven insights and creativity in her role, having begun her career as a finance intern and later working in several customer development positions. Her experience and passion for understanding the human aspect of marketing make her a valuable asset to CP Skin Health Group U.S.

Leading Transformation and Fostering Brand Growth

As Chief Brand Officer for CP Skin Health Group US, Echo Sandburg has led the company through a period of transformation. She oversees not only the individual brand teams for EltaMD, PCA SKIN, and Filorga but also the education, communications, media, and creative teams. She supports a hybrid work model, with a 3-day office and 2-day remote schedule, to enhance productivity and culture.

Echo faces the challenge of growing brands amid organizational, agency, and digital changes. Yet, she finds her role rewarding as she witnesses the team’s resilience and growth. She has established core marketing fundamentals that show her dedication. She also feels pride when she hears positive feedback from consumers and professionals about how their products improve lives.

Transformation and Unification of Brands

Colgate-Palmolive acquired EltaMD, PCA SKIN, and Filorga starting in 2018. These brands have a rich history of over 30 years, offering skin solutions that professionals recommend. EltaMD was founded in 1988, PCA SKIN in 1990, and Filorga in 1978. Upon acquisition, the company managed the brands independently.

In January 2022, CPSHG was created to build a world-class global skin health organization of premium brands that are scientifically proven and professionally endorsed. It established a new US headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona, uniting the three brands under one roof to create more synergies, share best practices, and better serve their consumers and professionals.

The company’s mission is to grow by transforming and protecting skin health through professional skincare. It strives to be a caring, inclusive, and innovative company. Its vision is to lead the prestige skincare industry with scientifically proven solutions that professionals recommend, the scientific community recognizes, and consumers choose.

Measuring Brand Positioning Success

Echo Sandburg assesses the effectiveness of her brand positioning strategy using a set of crucial metrics. She uses various tools and methods to measure the impact of her efforts at EltaMD.

Echo researches to gauge brand awareness, ensuring that the target audience understands the brand’s fundamental elements. She uses perception surveys to find out how consumers and professionals view the brand, and she compares the brand with its competitors to identify its unique position in the market.

Moreover, Echo tracks B2B recommendations, customer loyalty metrics, and social listening to get a complete picture of the brand’s performance. She monitors press coverage to see how the media portrays the brand and uses sales metrics as a concrete indicator of the brand’s success in the market.

By using these metrics, Echo evaluates the brand’s positioning strategy comprehensively. She relies on data to make decisions, improve strategies, and optimize EltaMD’s position in the skincare market.

Overcoming Challenges, Growing, and Improving Continuously 

Echo has faced various challenges in her remarkable career, from business complexities to personal leadership difficulties to unknown situations. She has grown as a marketer and a leader by overcoming these obstacles. She always stays calm, takes responsibility, and solves problems, no matter what difficulties she faces.

Echo understands that challenges are not only inevitable but also opportunities for growth. She does not shy away from adversity but uses it to improve her skills and methods. She learns from her challenges and applies those lessons to avoid similar problems in the future, showing her dedication to continuous improvement and leadership development.

Building and Evolving a Strategic Team

Building and Evolving a Strategic Team As the leader of the marketing team at CPSH, Echo Sandburg has a strategic vision of the current and future needs of the organization. She has implemented significant changes in the past four years, highlighting the importance of expertise, culture, and diversity.

Building a team requires considering the organizational needs now and in the future, especially in a growth-oriented business in a highly competitive category. The marketing team at CPSH has undergone

a lot of changes over the past four years. Echo has focused on bringing in the right subject matter experts, assessing cultural fit, and ensuring a diverse point of view to make the whole team better. She has also upskilled her organization along the way to stay relevant in marketing in today’s world.

Balancing Work and Life with Flexibility

Echo Sandburg knows that work-life balance is not static but dynamic. She adjusts her time and energy between work and personal commitments according to the situation. For example, when work is intense, she may focus more on her professional responsibilities, but she makes up for it by taking personal breaks later.

Echo values her family and spends quality time with them after work and during dinners. She sometimes works after her family goes to bed, but she sets clear expectations with her team and respects their work-life boundaries.

In terms of personal interests, Echo enjoys hiking in Arizona and admiring the natural beauty. She also participates in her kids’ sports activities, showing her interest and engagement in her family. With this flexible and holistic approach, Echo tries to maintain a healthy balance between her work and personal life.

Be Open and Curious

Echo’s advice to her younger self is to be open to possibilities. She reflects on her career and values the diverse roles, customer interactions, and geographical moves that helped her grow and access amazing opportunities. Special projects also helped her understand the business and market better and become a better leader.

Echo’s second piece of advice is to be curious, citing Albert Einstein, “The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existence.” Curiosity has guided her career and made her seek understanding, ask questions, and learn. In marketing, being curious about the world is essential to staying relevant and finding innovative solutions.

Echo’s advice to aspiring leaders is the same. She urges them to be open-minded, try different experiences, and keep learning. By being open and curious, aspiring leaders can adapt to the changing fields and grow themselves and their teams, Echo concludes.

Also Read: The 10 Most Innovative CMOs of 2024.